See also the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue.
High on opposite walls of the transept are stained glass windows of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The traditions of veneration of the two hearts date back hundreds of years, and may come from references to the hearts in scripture. (For example, Simeon's prophecy that a sword would pierce Mary's heart.) These traditions were strengthened by revelations of the Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the children at Fatima, among others.
Catholic devotion to Jesus and Mary under these names stresses the love of Christ and his mother for the Church. In the depictions, both hearts are seen to be aflame with love. Jesus's heart is surrounded by a crown of thorns, Mary's by a crown of roses.
Pope Pius XII dedicated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1942. This consecration was repeated by Pope John Paul II in 1983 during a visit to Fatima.
It was in apparitions of the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart that promises concerning First Friday and First Saturday observances were made.
See also Devotion to Mary